Michigan State Police adds BMW R1200s to fleet

Publish Date:

Jul 24, 2012

LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State Police motor officers have some new motorcycles in their fleet, and for the first time, they aren’t Harley-Davidsons.

The department bought nine BMW R1200s in April, citing speed, superior handling and safety features, and lower cost as factors in the decision. A State Police analysis called the Harleys a "capable vehicle for parade and ceremonial use."

State Police spokeswoman Shannon Banner told the Detroit Free Press it wasn’t easy for the hub of the American auto industry to choose foreign bikes, but BMW came out on top of annual tests conducted by the agency's vehicle evaluation team.

"We really could no longer ignore what we were seeing in the tests," she said.